


Escaping the Hydra

by Rose_The_Reaper



Series: Soldiers and Torturers [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Murder, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-07
Updated: 2017-11-07
Packaged: 2019-01-30 20:29:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12660843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rose_The_Reaper/pseuds/Rose_The_Reaper
Summary: A former German agent is kicked out after her experience with the Winter Soldier. The agency paints a target on her back and SHIELD takes her in. After the fall of SHIELD, the Winter Soldier joins her in her missions.





	Escaping the Hydra

**Author's Note:**

> Part one of a trilogy. Hope you enjoy :)

“What did you need me for?” I asked my boss Adrian Ochsner, one of the leaders of the German interrogation division.

                “Our target, Irina Spiegler, is a politician involved with a few crime bosses.  I want you to find out who they are and where they are located.  Simply use your methods, but keep her alive.”

                “Understood.”

                “She is staying in the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Munich in the penthouse suite.   You are currently registered as a housekeeper at that hotel.  Simply catch her when she’s in the room around ten in the evening, go about your business and once you obtain the information, leave the hotel and return to Berlin.”

                “Understood.  Is a plane ready?”

                “Yes.  At the private airbase.”

                “I’ll be back in a day or so.  See you later.” I said, leaving the room.

                I grabbed my backpack and headed to the garage.  I got into my car and drove to the government’s airbase.  I got into the waiting plane and curled up in my seat, preparing to nap for the hour long flight.

                When the plane landed I pulled on a blonde wig and blue-green contact lenses.  When I was done slightly altering my appearance, I called for a taxi and instructed them to take me to the hotel. 

                I went to the front desk and said,

                “I’m here for the housekeeping position.”

                “Ah, yes, Mathilda Orndorff.  You are ready to start now?”

                “Yes, ma’am.”

                “Here is your uniform.  Once changed, please start on the first floor.”

                “Understood.”

                I went through the day without a problem, working hard to get everything done.  Around eleven, I took the key card and quietly made my way upstairs, hiding my torture kit in the housekeeping cart.  I knocked on the penthouse door and waited.  Irina opened the door and appeared confused.

                “Isn’t it a bit late for housekeeping?” she asked.

                “Your room wasn’t cleaned due to a busy schedule, I do apologize for any interruptions.” I lied.

                “Make it quick then,” she said and I entered the room, bringing my torture kit with me.  I shut the door behind me and lunged at Irina.  I grabbed a vase and smashed it over her head, causing her to fall unconscious.  I grabbed a chair and dragged it to the centre of the room.  I lifted her limp body onto the chair and used zip ties to restrain her hands behind her back.  I laid out my kit on the table and observed each item, wondering which one to use first.  I went to the bathroom and grabbed a few towels and set them on the table next to my kit.  I then pulled on my mask, it was carbon black and covered the lower half of my face.  I only used it when I had to let the targets live, so they wouldn’t see my full face.

                After a few moments, Irina began moaning as she gained consciousness.

                “What do you want?” she whispered.

                “Names of the crime bosses you associate yourself with and their locations.” I said.

                “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She said.

                “That’s a typical saying.” I said with a laugh.  I grabbed my crowbar off the table and swung it hard against her left knee.  She screamed in agony as I waited for an answer.

                “I’m not asking again.” I said. “My source says there are four.”

                “Wolfram Kleinmann.” She yelled. “Operates in Stuttgart.”

                “Good.” I said and wrote the information down in a small notebook as I waited for the other names but she remained quiet. 

                I grabbed a butterfly knife and began making many lacerations across her body.  She shrieked throughout the process but didn’t scream until I began pouring alcohol over the wounds.

                “You will pay for this.” she screamed through clenched teeth.

                I slapped her hard across the face and then wrapped my hands around her throat, slowly increasing the pressure on her throat.

                I heard a click behind me and turned around to see the door open with a tall man with chin-length brown hair and a black mask similar to mine covering his lower face, standing in the door frame.

                “Who are you?” I asked as he entered the room, closing and locking the door behind him.  As he turned I saw his left arm was a silver metal prosthetic with a red five pointed star on the upper part.  I immediately recognized him as the Winter Soldier, an assassin who killed his targets then disappeared until his next target. 

                “That’s none of your concern.” He said.  “What are you doing with my target?”

                “I’m going to finish my job here, then she’s all yours.” I answered, turning my back to him and continuing to suffocate Irina. When I released my grip, she gasped and coughed, but remained quiet.

                I turned to the Winter Soldier.

                “If I was you, I’d make yourself comfortable.  Irina here is being very stubborn about giving up some names.” I said.

                “What is your mission?” he asked as I placed a cloth over Irina’s mouth and began pouring water over it.

                “Torture some information out of her then leave.  Yours?” I said, pulling the wet cloth off Irina so she could breathe.

                “Eliminating her.”

                “Well, like I said, I’ll let you do your job if you let me do mine.” I said, picking up the crowbar again.

                “Nikolaus Richter.” Irina said. “Dusseldorf.”

                I quickly jotted the information down.

                “Two down, two to go.” I said, swinging the crowbar hard on her right knee.

                “Astrid Berkhoff.  Hamburg.” She screamed.  “August Drewes.  Mannheim.”

                “Wonderful.” I said with a grin, then turned to the Winter Soldier.  “You’re up next.”

                I began packing up my tool kit and the Winter Soldier stalked over to Irina.

                “Please don’t –” Irina started to beg but was cut short when a bullet went through her head.

                “You don’t mess around.” I commented, removing my wig, coloured contacts, and mask, not caring if he saw my face.  I couldn’t place it but something about him allowed me to lower my guard and without thinking, I scrawled out my address in a blank page my notebook, tore it out and handed it to him.

                “If you’re ever in Berlin and need a place to stay, feel free to drop by.” I said.  He stared at the paper for a bit, then pocketed it.

                “Thanks.” He said.

                “Where you headed to now?” I asked.

                “America.” He said, then disappeared through the balcony door. 

I finished packing my things, then left the room.  I snuck out the back door of the hotel once I grabbed my backpack and called for a taxi to take me to the airport.  I got on the plane and slept for the short flight.  Instead of reporting to Adrian, I went home and went to bed.

                I woke up early and quickly made my way to the Interrogation building.  When I walked into Adrian’s office, he slapped me hard across the face.

                “Do you know what you’ve done Miss Marks?” he asked, throwing a newspaper at me.  The front page announced that Irina Speigler had been found dead in her hotel room by a housekeeper early this morning.

                “That wasn’t me.  You know I don’t use guns unless it’s an emergency.” I said. “And I understood the directions clearly.  You know I would never kill a target unless I had to.”

                “Then what the fuck happened?” he asked.

                “The Winter Soldier showed up.” I said.

                “And you’re still alive?” he scoffed.

                “I’m not lying.”

                “Well I’m not sure I can trust you.  Lately you have been unstable on missions, almost killing the targets.  You’re becoming dangerous.  Which is why you’re no longer part of this organization.”

                “What? No I swear I didn’t kill her!” I cried.

                “I don’t care.  Give me the information you received last night and clean out your office.” He said.  I hesitantly handed him the notebook.

                “I’ve worked and trained here for years and you’re kicking me out just like that?” I asked.

                “Well, to be honest, there’s now a price on your head.  Some organizations want you dead, while some want you for themselves.  Good luck out there.” He said with a cold smile.

                “I never wanted this life.” I said, turning and leaving his office.

                I quickly grabbed my things, wiped the hard drives of my personal records and went to my apartment.  I decided I would have to lay low for a while.  Only going out when I needed to.  I made sure my guns were loaded just in case and carried a pistol around the small apartment with me.  My only fear besides death was being captured by HYDRA, as they would probably corrupt my mind and turn me into nothing more than a killing machine.  I sighed and prepared myself for a rough few weeks.

~One Month Later~

                I headed back from grocery shopping and moved to unlock my apartment, when I noticed the door was slightly open.  I nudged the door open with my foot and set the grocery bags on the floor next to the door.  I pulled out my pistol and began sweeping my apartment.  When I entered the living room, a man with short dirty blond hair was sitting on the couch, cleaning a bow.

                “Who are you and how did you get in?” I asked, aiming the gun at him.

                “Easy there Skyler,” he said, lowering the bow and raising his hands.  I flinched when he said my name.  “I’m Agent Barton from SHIELD, better known as Hawkeye from the Avengers.  And your door wasn’t too hard to pick, I’d personally invest in a better one.”

                “Why are you here?” I asked, lowering the gun.

                “My boss, Agent Hill, thinks you could be a valuable asset to SHIELD.  Only problem is she doesn’t approve of your uh skill set.  SHIELD isn’t really one for extreme torture, which is kinda your thing.  But she’s willing to protect you from other organizations if you handle certain missions in Germany.” He explained.

                “Well I have no choice but to accept I guess.” I answered.

~A Few Weeks after SHIELD’s collapse~

                “Maria, tell me again why I’m sneaking into a gala run by HYDRA agents.” I said as I walked up the stairs to my apartment.

                “We need some files on their bases and operations.” She said. “You can’t back out now, your name is on the guest list.”

                “Hopefully not my real one because that could cause a bit of a stir.” I muttered.

                “Your alias is Anita Thomas.” Maria said. “And you can’t really back out of this, unless you want to scrap our agreement.”

                “I know.” I said, unlocking the door to my apartment. “But you couldn’t have sent someone to accompany me?  Because I’m not willing to go into the lion’s den alone.”

                “Well I’m not playing matchmaker for you.” Maria said as I entered my apartment and headed to the living room.  I stopped when I realized I wasn’t alone.  Sitting on my couch was the Winter Soldier and a lone backpack.

                “Can I call you back?” I said.

                “Sure,” Maria said, then hung up.

                “Sorry I broke in.” he said. “But I didn’t want to wait around outside.”

                “It’s fine.” I said.

                There was an awkward pause, and then I realized I could take him with me on my mission.

                “How would you feel about going on a mission with me?” I asked.

                “What’s the mission?” he asked.

                “Stealing some computer files from HYDRA.” I answered.

                “That may not be a good idea.” He said.

                “Oh right.”

                “But I could provide sniper cover if you wanted.” He said.

                “That’d be great.” I said. “Oh and what do you want me to call you?”

                “Bucky.  And what’s your name? I don’t recall you ever telling me.”

                “Skyler.” I said.  “If you’ll excuse me, I have to call Maria back.”

                I quickly called Maria back, and began making dinner as I did so.  When I hung up, I noticed Bucky sitting at one of the bar stools across from me.

                “Do you need help?” he asked.

                “No, I’m fine.  Thank you though.  The mission dossier is on my laptop if you want to view it.” I said, pointing to my open laptop.

                He carefully moved the laptop in front of him and began reading it.  I caught myself staring at him as he did so, and awkwardly looked away when he noticed.  I continued making dinner, humming quietly to myself as I did so. 

                As I dished out dinner, Bucky began helping me devise a strategy for the mission, pointing out weak spots in the mansion, his sniping location and other useful points.  I felt a lot more confident having another agent by my side.  I didn’t care about his past, I knew HYDRA forced him to do things he didn’t want to do.  I knew I killed people who didn’t need to die but somehow got in the way of my mission.  It was rough but I made sure to find outlets, such as writing and drawing.  I didn’t know how long Bucky would be staying with me, but I hoped to somehow help him ease his guilt.

                “Are you alright?” he asked and I realized I had zoned out for a moment.

                “Yeah, sorry.  Zoned out for a minute there.” I said with a chuckle.

                After dinner, I began preparing my clothes, disguise, and weapons for the mission the next day.  I gave Bucky a blanket and pillow and told him the couch was his for as long as he stayed with me.  I began my bedtime ritual, then went to bed.

                In a way, I knew I was dreaming, yet at the same time, it felt real.  I watched my ten year old self hug her parents goodbye for the last time, being told a few weeks later they died in an earthquake that hit the area in Japan they were visiting.  I watched as I had to pack up all my things to live with a new family.  My younger self was adjusting well for the first few days, then realized the hard way that her foster father was an alcoholic and her foster mother only paid attention to her when her friends were over.  I watched myself being abused over and over again before the dream shifted to my fourteen year old self, slipping crushed sleeping pills into her foster parent’s drinks and tying them up before they awoke.

                My fourteen year old self had dealt with enough abuse and pain over the four years and wanted her revenge.  I could almost feel the anger radiating off her body as she began to physically wound her foster parents for days before a friend of the family walked in and called the authorities.  The parents were sent to therapy, while my young self was sent to a government facility and met Adrian for the first time.

                “Don’t trust him, Sky,” I said to my younger self, but of course she didn’t hear me.

                “Hello Skyler, I’m Adrian.  I understand you went through a rough experience.  I’m here to help you channel the anger and negative feelings and take care of you.”

                “Don’t believe him!” I screamed to no avail.

                I watched as my young self went through rigorous training regimens with the lies that “it will channel the pain somewhere else” when it was just to make me stronger, a killing machine.  After months of training, Adrian approached me.

                “I need you to hurt someone for me.” He said.

                “But isn’t hurting people wrong?” my now fifteen self said.

                “This man won’t tell us where he is hiding his base.  And if we don’t shut down his base, he’ll hurt millions of innocent people.” Adrian explained.

                Being a naïve fifteen year old, she did as she was told and the dream shifted into a slideshow of all the people I had tortured and killed.

                I woke up sweating, so many faces implanted into my mind.  I exhaled shakily, running my hands through my hair.  I hated Adrian for lying to me for over six years, using me to get my hands dirty while he sat in his office, pretending his hands were cleaner than mine.  I sighed and got out of bed, heading to the bathroom and splashing cold water on my face.  I realized I probably wouldn’t be able to fall asleep for a bit, so I headed to the kitchen to pour myself a drink. 

I pulled the whiskey out of the cupboard and as I grabbed a glass, Bucky began screaming, which startled me into dropping the glass.  Normally, I would leave Bucky to sort out his nightmare by himself but something told me that I needed to take care of him.  I carefully stepped over the broken glass and walked over to the couch, where Bucky was tossing and turning.

                “No.  Please don’t do it.” He said, sounding very distraught.

                I knelt down next to the couch and gently shook his shoulder.

                “Bucky, you need to wake up.” I said softly, shaking him a bit harder.

                Within an instant, I was pinned to the floor and a cold metal hand wrapped itself around my throat.  I struggled for a few moments, then I was released.

                “I am so sorry Sky.  I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Bucky said, backing away from me as I coughed.

                “It’s okay, you were tense.  I understand.” I said, getting up.  I grabbed a clean cloth from the kitchen and ran it under cold water. I sat next to Bucky on the couch and gently wiped the cloth against his forehead.

                “I’m sorry if I woke you up.” He said.

                “I was already awake.” I said.  “How are you feeling now?”

                “Better.”

                “I’ll let you go back to sleep, okay?” I said, getting up but Bucky grabbed my wrist.

                “Can you keep watch?”

                “Of course.” I said.

                Bucky made himself comfortable on the couch, curling up on one side.  Seeing as I had nothing to do, I grabbed my knife set, sat down next to Bucky and began sharpening knives.  After a half hour, Bucky was snoring softly and I was struggling to stay awake.  After a few more minutes of struggling to stay awake, I finally let myself fall asleep.

                I woke up and found myself practically on top of Bucky.  Thankfully, he was still sleeping and didn’t notice.  I carefully moved off of him and headed to the bathroom to shower.  When I finished, I put on my undergarments and pulled a bathrobe on to cover myself, as I had a few hours before the gala.  I headed to the kitchen and began tidying up the broken glass from the night before.  As I made breakfast, Bucky wandered into the kitchen, seating himself on the bar stools.

                “You know, we have almost an entire day to kill before the mission.  We could go shopping for some more clothes for you, since I doubt you have much in that backpack of yours.” I said.

                “As long as it’s brief.” He said. “I try to avoid going out in public for long periods of time.”

                “Don’t worry. It’ll be brief. I’m the same way.” I said.

                “Why is that?”

                “Long story short, people are after me too.” I said, not feeling up to explaining everything to him.

                We left my apartment and headed to the shopping district. Bucky tried on a few outfits quickly and I purchased them, assuring Bucky he could pay me back later. We bought some groceries while we were out and then headed back to my apartment.

                I made a light meal of chicken salad and began preparing for my mission. I knew I couldn’t sneak weapons into the gala, not even a knife strapped to my thigh. I got a sniper kit ready for Bucky, entrusting him with my G22. I went to my bathroom and began applying my makeup. Since my dress was a mahogany colour, I went for natural looking makeup with wine lipstick. I pulled my dress on, which was sleeveless with thin straps on my shoulders. The top part of the dress had a lace pattern with a silver belt at my hips. The bottom part of the dress went to the floor and was a princess style.

                I walked out of my bedroom and sat on the couch, pulling on my thin, high heeled shoes. Bucky sat next to me wearing dress pants, a dress shirt and a confused look.

                “How are you supposed to run if you get into trouble?” he asked. I stood up and removed the belt. The bottom part of the dress fell, revealing a shorter skirt underneath.

                “Like so.” I said with a wink.

                “Useful.” He said, then got up, prepping a mission kit for himself.

                “If all goes according to plan, I should be able to leave through the front door. If not, I’m jumping out the window of the room where the information is.” I informed him.

                “I’ll make sure a car or something is there to block your fall.” He said.

                “Thanks.” I said. “We have time to kill, so make sure you’re ready.”

                I readjusted my skirt. Then began packing my purse. I had a few tubes of lipstick, including a USB disguised as a tube of lipstick, my invitation, a pack of tissues, and some foundation. After a few hours, I approached Bucky.

                “Are you ready?” I asked Bucky.

                “Yes.” He said.

                I threw my car keys at him and he raised his eyebrow in curiosity.

                “How in the hell can you afford a Bugatti?”

                I shrugged my shoulders.

                “I’ve done a lot of missions and I’m very frugal.” I said. “And Maria helped me too.”

                “Let’s go then princess.” He muttered and led the way out of the apartment.

                I got into the passenger seat of the car as Bucky got into the driver’s seat. When he started the car, his eyes closed in content as the engine purred.

                “I still can’t believe you have one of these.” He said as he pulled out of the parking garage.

                “I can’t either.” I said. “Now can we focus on where we’re going?”

                He sighed and listened as I gave him directions. When we arrived at the mansion, my heart was ready to explode from nervousness.

                “Hey,” he said, grabbing my hand. “You’ve been on many missions before and you’ll go on many after this one. I’ll be on the building just over there watching your back. You can do it.”

                “Thank you.” I said. “Well I should go.”

                “Good luck.” He said, then kissed me on the back of the hand. I blushed and left the car. Bucky drove off and I walked up the steps. I showed the security guard my invitation and he let me in.  I wandered throughout the main hall, mingling with various people, absolutely terrified since they were mostly HYDRA agents. 

                After some time had passed, I carefully snuck away and began wandering the hallways, searching for the room with the information. From the maps Maria provided me with, I found the room quickly. I walked in and sat at the desk, plugging the USB into the computer. Since I didn’t know what I was looking for, I began copying all the files onto my USB. Once all the files were copied, I stood up to leave and a man with a monocle entered the room. I panicked and immediately jumped out the window.

                I landed on a car roughly, glass cutting into my skin. I groaned as I forced myself up. In front of me was my black Bugatti. I quickly got in and waited and moments later Bucky hopped in and drove off.

                “Did you get what you needed to get?” he asked.

                “Yes.” I answered. “Now before you go back to the apartment, loop around the city a few times to make sure no one is tailing us.”

                “Got it.” He said.

                After at least an hour of wandering the city, I was certain we weren’t being tailed.  I told Bucky to head back to the apartment.

                Once we got back to the apartment, I quickly emailed Maria the files I had obtained, then went to bed.

                When I woke up, I saw I had a message from Maria. I opened it and attached was a mission dossier. I quickly read over it. I then got up to tell Bucky.

                “Hey, want to join me in Dusseldorf?” I asked Bucky.

                “Sure. Let’s go.”


End file.
